Congress addressed key issues last week, with mixed results.
The Senate failed to advance the NEA-supported Lower Health Care Costs Act (S. 3385), which would have provided a three-year extension of Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies and preserved access to health care for over 20 million Americans—entrepreneurs, self-employed contractors, and part-time workers whose employers don’t offer or help pay for insurance.
“At a time when families are already struggling to afford necessities, and when too many children lack reliable health care, this Trump-controlled Republican Congress has once again failed the American people,” said NEA President Becky Pringle.
“The impact will be devastating for students and educators. More than 10 percent of our education support professionals rely on Medicaid or ACA marketplace plans for their families’ health and stability. No family should face bankruptcy because they get sick. Protecting the health and safety of students, educators, and communities must be a national priority.”
We also had some victories.
Six months after passing the Senate by voice vote, the bipartisan Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act passed the House by a vote of 399-5. The bill provides crucial funding for public schools, roads, and other public services in rural communities near national forests. Eighty-nine members of Congress signed a bipartisan, bicameral letter urging House leadership to move the measure.
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 passed the House; Senate action is expected next week. The bill contains several provisions to improve the academic environment in military-connected schools attended by students from military-connected families deployed around the world, which are administered by the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA). The Federal Education Association, an NEA affiliate, represents educators in DoDEA schools.
Last Thursday, by a vote of 231-195, the House passed H.R. 2550, the Protect America’s Workforce Act (PAWA). This bipartisan bill would restore collective bargaining rights to federal employees in multiple agencies, including educators in DoDEA schools. The Senate still needs to vote, and it is not clear when that might happen.
Tell Congress what you think!
In Solidarity,
Kimberly Johnson Trinca
National Education Association
CHEER:Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski (AK), Dan Sullivan (AK), Susan Collins (ME), and Josh Hawley (MO) voted YES on the Lower Health Care Costs Act (S. 3385), which would extend the ACA subsidies for three years.
CHEER:20 Republicans in the House joined Democrats in voting YES on the Protect America’s Workforce Act (H.R. 2550), which would restore collective bargaining rights for federal employees in multiple agencies.
CHEER:Reps. Chuy Garcia (D-IL), Jahana Hayes (D-CT), Greg Casar (D-TX), and Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) introduced the House version of the Pay Paraprofessionals and Education Support Staff Act, which would increase wages for school support staff.
